The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin (EDSJ) is a diocese of the Episcopal Church (TEC), located in central California with its headquarters in Fresno. It can trace its roots back to the earliest days of American settlement in California.
History
In 1910, the Episcopal Diocese of California petitioned the General Convention to create the Missionary District of San Joaquin from a portion of its territory. The Diocese of California ceded 14 counties in central California (and the 23 Episcopal congregations within those counties) back to the General Convention. The General Convention formed those 14 counties into the Missionary District of San Joaquin. In 1961, the Missionary District of San Joaquin petitioned the General Convention for "consent to the formation of a new Diocese out of the whole of the Missionary District of San Joaquin." The General Convention accepted the petition and approved the proposed diocesan constitution and canons, thus forming the Episcopal Church's Diocese of San Joaquin.
Diocesan controversy
Over the years, the diocese had become known as one of the more conservative dioceses within the Episcopal Church. Due to ongoing disagreements with the national church in matters such as the blessing of same-sex relationships and the ordination of women a rift developed within the diocese between those who wished to remain in the Episcopal Church and a majority who wished to leave. On December 8, 2007, a majority of the delegates at the diocese's convention voted to leave the Episcopal Church in order to form the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin. The remaining clergy and laity who did not vote to leave continue to constitute the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. Various court decisions have determined that those who left largely did so as individuals and not as a diocese.
Until this vote, the diocese was one of the most conservative within the Episcopal Church. The diocese had been one of the last three that did not ordain women (the others were the dioceses of Quincy and Fort Worth). The pre-separation Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin had a membership of approximately 8,500.
On January 11, 2008, Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop, inhibited John-David Schofield from the exercise of the office of a bishop. On March 1, 2008, Schofield tendered his resignation from the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church, although he continued on as the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin. On March 12, 2008, he was deposed by action of the House of Bishops.
A special diocesan convention met on March 29, 2008, in Lodi, California elected Jerry Lamb (retired bishop of Northern California) as provisional bishop of a reorganized Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. Jefferts Schori stated that "The Episcopal Church will continue in the Diocese of San Joaquin, albeit with new leadership." The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church as a whole agreed to provide $700,000 to help defray the expenses associated with reorganization in San Joaquin and other dioceses facing similar challenges. At the regular diocesan convention in October 2008, delegates voted to create an "equality commission", charged with affirming marginalized communities within the diocese, including women, lesbians and gays, as well as several ethnic groups.
On October 17, 2008, the standing committee of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin determined that 16 deacons and 36 priests who opted to realign with the Southern Cone had abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church. This decision paved the way for Lamb to remove the 52 clergy. In June 2009, Episcopal leaders deposed all clergy (61 in all) who had joined Schofield in affiliating with an Anglican diocese in Argentina.
Bishops since the diocesan controversy
On March 5, 2011, Chester Lovelle Talton was formally seated at Holy Family Church in Fresno as the diocese's provisional bishop. Talton succeeded Jerry A. Lamb, who had served as provisional bishop since February 2008. Lamb had announced his intention to retire and called for the special meeting, in accordance with the diocesan constitution.
On March 29, 2014, Talton retired and was succeeded by David Rice, who previously served as a bishop in the Anglican Church of New Zealand. Rice was elected and seated as Bishop Diocesan in 2017.